V1 Chapter 7: Training
As the information about the Silver talent circulated in the light and dark factions, although they all reacted differently, they all made a common decision. To stop the rumors of Silver talent spread around too much.
Nobody wanted a third faction to take advantage of this variable. Although one may believe that in no way would there be a third faction that could even make a dent in their power struggles. But the leaders of these factions believed otherwise.
There have been many instances where a third party has taken advantage of their situation. Sometimes they assassinated a major figure, which led to a huge power vacuum. And sometimes sabotaging them both, which led to expensive monetary and personnel losses.
Both of the factions weirdly complimented each other. Nobody wanted the third wheel in their toxic relationship.
What they didn't know was that a third wheel was already formed even before the news of Jake's Silver talent came out. It was the Guild Master who hid the information about his darkness element for his personal greed.
If any of these factions had known the actual ability of this new chess piece. After all, no one wants a chess piece that can become stronger than them.
Unbeknownst to the fact that some information was hidden about Jake, Baron Robert Balek did what everyone expected him to do. A recruitment letter was sent to Jake for him to be recruited under Lord Balek's banner.
The Underworld has yet to make a move on Jake, but one can be sure that there was some scheme cooking inside the background.
But the Light faction wasn't really sure of it. So they wanted to put pressure on Jake to hurry up and take him to his side. Baron Balek wanted Jake to join the Royal Knights Academy in the Capital of the Kingdom.
This was done to separate Jake from his parents and brainwash him. This was an excellent plan to manipulate a child. Still, nobody knew that inside, Jake was an adult that came from another world.
Right now, Jake was living his life normally. It was the first time he was experiencing the magic, and he was training how to control it properly.
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[Jake's POV]
My life has normally been going since my awakening ceremony, but only if you exclude all the tension and psychological pressure inside my house. This whole time, my dad had a serious look on his face, like he could cut anyone with just his gaze. (Fuck, man!)
This Silver talent was more like a cure for commoners like us. On the day of my awakening, we got a letter from the town lord. He wants to recruit me and send me away for my studies. (Fuck, I just wanted to live everyday life.)
My dad told me that the Royal Knights Academy of Ethos is the biggest educational institute in the Kingdom. Going there will mean potentially never seeing each other again. (This world is so fucked up!)
I never wanted to be a dog for anyone. (Do I really have to leave my family?)
Am I lucky or really unlucky? (Why does every good thing take so much sacrifice?)
Will I escape this hell if I become strong enough? (This is my only hope). I hung on to this idea and kept diligently training.
I was sitting in the lotus position, trying to focus on the magic I had. I wanted to refine its control, send it to all corners of my body, and then back in my Magic Core. I was a Silver Potential, which means I was awakened at [Level 5]. (I am at the same [Level] as my older brother, I wonder what he thinks of this)
The bronze only awakes at [Level 3], and common potential doesn't get any Level bonuses. Breaking through to the next Level takes a huge effort and sometimes needs a lot of potions and training resources.
A Common Talent person can potentially become the strongest person in the world. Still, nobody has the guidance or resources to become stronger. And better guidance is always provided for the Higher Talents. (Truly unlucky, but this is life in this world)
I regulated my breathing as I had practiced over the last three years from books. It wasn't hard for me to get into a 'trance-like' state because I had experienced this thing with my swordplay. (Let's get a feel of magic now!)
I tried to feel my surroundings; I wanted to sense the magic around me. Then as if hearing my will, I felt something steadily leaving my solar plexus and assimilating into the surrounding air. (It should be my magic leaving the Magic Core)
I sensed it! It is really faint and surrounds me from all sides, just like air. The same substance (Let's call it Magicule) was inside me too. It was denser inside of me, and it felt semi-liquid. Only the core looked like a true-solid ball of energy.
I tried gathering Magicule inside my core. This method was called [Magic Breathing]. It allows the user to absorb magic from surroundings inside its core. Then by using [Core Compression], I assimilated the absorbed magic into my core, making it a part of me.
I can do this process to integrate my body with magic. (Yes, now let's try this with my sword)
After a few hours, I got up and started swinging my sword. Getting into a trance-like state. I tried to sense the surrounding for magic and used the [Magic Breathing]. My Magic Core started aching, but it was more like the pain while doing cardio exercises.
I kept straining myself until I couldn't take it anymore, and the results I got were worth it. My [Mana Breathing] got a lot easier, and I can do it while walking now as long as I can get into a trance.
I subconsciously assimilated magic into my swordplay, but it wasn't refined or trained at all. I needed to improve on this and control this. (Agh~ My chest hurts)
I was a lot tired, I wasn't used to using magic, and although my body was getting used to it, it left me quite exhausted. (I am sleepy)
I have never felt my magic run out till now. Just my body couldn't keep up with my magic and got severely damaged. Well, this type of body-breaking training may get frowned upon back on Earth, but not here. (Better eat dinner and go to bed)
And even if I did go overboard, even by this world's standards, I had a passive regeneration ability. It was a property of my Water-type element. (Where is my darkness, though?) I still can't feel any dark element inside of me. Maybe it takes time to appear (Let's not care about that now, I can't really do anything about it)
Tiredness overtook me after dinner, and I kept thinking about the best option I could take to avoid getting used and thrown into the garbage. I didn't know when I slept.
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V1 Chapter 8: Rising Pressure Jake's life was passing with monotone. He was only focused on becoming stronger, while things around him were in a ripple effect. The dark side was plotting something inconspicuous, and the Baron could not track them at all. Which was a nerve-wracking situation for anyone. People are the most afraid of things they know nothing about. Getting anxious about the current situation, he wanted to send away the irregular variable away from the city. The way the Underworld worked was its strong and weak points at the same. They hid in shadows and attacked in the most unexpected situations. This is where weakness comes in. If they get discovered in between their plans, they will fail miserably. So generally, there is a notion in the Lights faction that the Underworld doesn't attack head-on. Following this concept, Baron was preparing for the departure of Jake away from the city. The Lights faction usually needed a reason to kill or purge anything. They c
V1 Chapter 9: The Offer That night when my dad came back home. We had a family debate about the right decision to take. We all knew that I shouldn't delay this any longer. Any more will strain our relationship with the City Lord. My dad told me that serving the City under Baron Balek would be the best scenario for me right now. Although I will leave the town for more than ten years, ultimately, I will return to the place I ought to serve as a Knight. (I'll be back home again) Considering my father's reputation, I will also be respected and looked upon in this city. His words seemed reasonable, but I was still salty about not being able to explore the world and travel. Still, deep down inside, I knew that this was a decent life anyone would die for in this world. There was also an element in our decision; it was that I had no choice but to accept the offer of Baron Balek. I didn't want to be 'silenced' or, worse, to be sold away and kept involuntarily. Just imagining these s
V1 Chapter 10: Merchant Town Andrew wasn't happy with the treatment Jake was receiving. He had a frown on his face the whole time while the meeting with the Knights was going on. Those Knights acted as if nothing was wrong, but Andrew held onto his suspicions. Something felt wrong; this whole drama of Baron rushing them to make a decision was shady. It looked like they wanted to send Jake far away as soon as possible. (Are they trying to hide something?) Andrew, who grew up in this town, had an idea of the dark faction or the Mafia, as the ordinary citizens called it, but he didn't have a picture of the actual depth of darkness. He could've suspected those people, but he didn't believe that the Baron would run away from those rag-tag rejects of society. It was too unfathomable to imagine that state authorities would fear the criminals. As absurd as it sounds. Still, it created an ink of doubt inside his mind. (What if it's true that there are people who want to capture Jake?)
V1 Chapter 11: Goodbye Spar The day of my departure was just around the corner now. The days which might be the last time I would see my parents passed by in a flash. I'll have to set off for Ethos tomorrow, making me feel empty and sad inside. Although I may have my consciousness of my past life, the bond I have created with my family is special to me now. This is how I wished to live in my previous life, too, with my family. I was sitting in my backyard, gazing up at the sky while my thought was running rampant. A lot has happened in the last five years. (I got the thing that I so yearned for) I lived, ate, and slept with my new family. It was one of the best feelings I got from this life. Maybe this happiness got multiplied by the fact that I lost everyone in my previous life, but I didn't care. My heart, which was numbed before, slowly regained its former form. (Although I still don't feel anything for anyone except my family). But one thing that worries me a little bit is t
V1 Chapter 12: GoodbyesThe town of Balek is a pretty small town in comparison to this world. Some may even say that this town acted like a satellite city for the town of Ishara. There were very few residential buildings in Ishara, so most of the people came to Balek town for residency. This town didn't have many roads and pathways built to connect itself to the major cities of the Etunesian Kingdom, which made it a fair bit of a secluded town, with visitors mainly coming from Ishara.Being a secluded town, this town was relatively quiet and monotonous from the rest of the world. A small town where most of the people knew each other from birth, daily doing the same things for the rest of their lives until they get buried in the same soil.But in recent days, there was a bit of an uproar about a new silver potential born inside this town.Lord of the Town, Robert Balek, had spread this rumor all around the city after Jake agreed to be under their banner.Everybody and their moms were
Ch 0: DisclaimerThis is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.R-rated Content Warning: This novel contains many dark and R-18 elements, like human trafficking, slavery, gore, torture, and psychological trauma and may contain some explicit sexual scenes, readers discretion is advised. Content is strictly marked for individuals 17 or above.Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use. Do not reproduce, modify, edit or translate the work without the author's permission.The book cover is not owned by the author and is the p
V1 Chapter 1: PrologueOn a bustling and noisy night in a developed modern city stood a tall building of a multinational corporation. The building, which looked like a small skyscraper, stood there, adding to the city's already beautiful skyline.Many workers and employees were working inside, some minding their own business and some chatting with others. One could hear the sound of repetitive keyboard clicks and soft murmurs almost everywhere.Although the clock was hitting midnight, the atmosphere inside looked like this wasn't the time for the people to return home. Although this one was considered one of the best. This was the situation of any average game development company that ambitiously started a project and forced its employees to complete the work before the announced deadline. The building, which looked quite beautiful and sophisticated from the outside, was anything but that from the inside. Disheveled and depressed faces of people who were working there proved it. If
V1 Chapter 2: Into the LightIt was a sunny day, and there was not a trace of a cloud in the sky. The whole town was busy doing their daily job. But this wasn't any ordinary town, at least from the perspective of Earthlings.The housing in this town looked like it was copied from seventeenth-century Europe. Wooden houses with slanting roofs, bustling markets full of peddlers, and people wearing attires that could only be seen in paintings on Earth. This was Balek Town, the town was on the smaller side compared to others, but it was big enough to house thousands of people. Most looked like laborers, peasants, blacksmiths, and other jobs that Earthlings didn't care about. In this busy town, a lady could be seen giving birth in a relatively-large house. The Midwife was assisting the lady in the delivery. "AGHHHhh~" Shouting uncontrollably, the lady gave birth to a baby. The baby started crying and looked around for the first time with his yellow, beady eyes. But they all didn't know